Railroad-tie plate.



Patented Mai. 20, I900.

E. M, SMITH. RAILROAD TIE PLATE. (Applicatioi: file d J ne 2a, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Miran STATES PATENT riuc,

EDGAR MAVERICH SMITH, OF BOSTON, IVIASSACHUSETTS.

RAILROAD-TIE PLATE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,7 59, dated March20, 1900.

Application filed June 23, 1899.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR MAvERIoH SMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Boston, county of Suffolk, State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRailroad-Tie Plates; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved tie-plate forrailroads which will prevent the ties from churningthat is, rockinglaterally under the undulating motion of the rails-Which will be itselfprevented from rocking or tilting laterally on the ties, will be rigidlyfastened to and held from both lateral and longitudinal movement on thetie, will not split or permit the rail to cut the tie, will not warp,buckle, or break, will securely hold the rail from tilting or shiftingin any direction, can be easily driven into the tie, and, finally, canbe economically manufactured. I attain these important endsby theconstruction illustrated in' the drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a planview representing a tieplate constructed in accordance with my inventionsecuring a rail to a tie. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of saidtie-plate. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of tieplate.Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View on line 4 4, Fig. 1.

I make both forms of tie-plate shown with the usual spike-holes H H,with an arched upper surface A, on and across which the rail B bears, sothat the undulations of said rail 13 under a moving train-load will bepermitted by said convex bearing instead. of prevented, and thetie-plate will thus be prevented from tilting laterally on the tie G andthe tie from tilting or churning in the ballast, with an arched orconcave under surface D, corresponding to the arched upper surface A tobear in part on the top of the tie, and with integral and paralleldepending edged side flanges E, extending the entire length of the plateand which are driven into the wooden tie, parallel with the lengththereof, until the Serial No. 721,590. (No model.)

arched under surface D of the plate bears along its sides on the tie.

The inner sides of the flanges E, I make vertical and parallel toprevent the tie from splitting outwardly and in cooperation with thearched top and bottom of the tie-plate to crowd the wood between themand prevent the plate from tilting or creeping laterally on the tie. Theouter sides F of the flanges E, I make first from the lower edge convexand then concave, forming a double curved surface, the upper concaveportion of which bears against the wood, outside thereof, and thus moreeffectually prevents the plate from tilting or creeping laterally on thetie, while the resulting cross-section of the flanges E gives them thegreatest possible strength and stilfness with the least allowable weightand resistance to entering the tie.

In the tie-plate shown in Figs; 1 and 2 the tie-plate is in additionformed with a raised transverse shoulder G from its upper arched surfacenear its outer end, against which shoulder the outer rail-base bearslaterally, and with a corresponding transverse shoulder K on its underarched surface, which thus bears perpendicularly against the wood of thetie in the direction of the length thereof and effectually prevents thetie-plate from creeping or tilting lengthwise on the tie and the railsfrom spreading, which feature is of very great importance when thetie-plate is used on curves, where the strain on the outer rail is sogreat.

To still more effectually and securely hold the outer end of thetie-plate on the tie, I form said end of the tie-plate (shown in Figs. 1and 2) with a transverse row of depending longitudinal teeth L, which,entering the tie, firmly flanges having vertical inner sides andreversely-ourved outer sides.

3. A tie-plate having edged side flanges, an arched upper and a lowersurface, the upper and lower surfaces rising near the outer end to formshoulders, the upper shoulder to retain the rail and the lower shoulderto bear against and lengthwise of the tie.

4. A tie-plate having an arched upper and a lower surface, dependingedged side flanges, 1 o and a transverse row of longitudinal teeth atits outer end to enter the tie.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand the 24th day of May,1899.

EDGAR MAVERIOH SMITH. In presence of-- A. WILDER POLLARD, FREDERICK I-I.POLLARD.

